Book Recommendation ~ Unnoticed by Amanda Deed

Book Description:

Plain Jane O’Reilly is good at being unnoticed. Detested by her stepmother and teased by her stepsisters, Jane has learned the art of avoiding attention. That is until Price Moreland, an American with big dreams, arrives in her small town.

Does she dare to hope someone might notice her?

However, Price Moreland may not be the prince that the whole town thinks him to be. Was his desire to be a missionary a God-given call, or just a good excuse to run from his past?

Complete with an evil stepmother, a missing shoe and a grand ball, Unnoticed takes the time-old Cinderella fairy tale and gives it an Australian twist.

Narelle's Thoughts:

I'm a fan of the Cinderella romance trope and enjoyed reading Unnoticed. The story is set in the 1870's in Hay, a small Australian town in the western Riverina region of NSW.

Jane O'Reilly is your classic Cinderella heroine. She lost her beloved mother when she was young and her father remarried a woman with two daughters. Jane's stepmother has no qualms about treating Jane as if she is a second class citizen and her personal slave. Jane's father seems to turn a blind eye to his wife's blatant favouritism of her own daughters over Jane.

Jane has very low self esteem that's reinforced by the horrible treatment she receives from her stepmother and stepsisters. Her Aunt Ruby, who is their cook and her stepmother's sister, is one of the few people who treats Jane with respect and dignity.

Forced by her stepmother to dress in old and ugly clothing, the townsfolk of Hay call her 'Plain Jane' and treat her as if she's the town joke. Jane believes she's ugly and feels powerless to change her life circumstances.

Price Moreland is an American who recently moved to Hay. He sets up a Barber and Dental Surgery in town but his main goal is to share the gospel with the unchurched townsfolk in Hay. He has a complicated relationship with his wealthy rancher father and is troubled by his experiences of living in the south during the American Civil War.

Price meets Jane when she turns up at his dental surgery with an infected tooth. He's the prince charming who is intrigued by Jane and sees both her inner and outer beauty. Jane struggles to believe she can be worthy of Price. They become friends and a sweet romance develops between them as they overcome many obstacles in the story.

Their spiritual journeys are explored and the faith element in the story is both overt and compelling. Price and Jane are challenged on a spiritual level and draw on Biblical truths to resolve their faith issues.

The story addresses social issues of inequality and racism in both Australia and the USA. My husband has Chinese ancestors who migrated to Australia during the 1850's Gold Rush and lived in the Riverina region of NSW. My personal connection to the setting added to my interest in the social class dynamics in the story.

I recommend Unnoticed to readers who like historical Christian romances set in Australia.

Learn more about Amanda Deed and her books here.

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, NARELLE ATKINS was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

Website: http://www.narelleatkins.com

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The Greenfield Legacy: Interview with the four Aussie authors and book giveaway

Left to Right: Rose, Meredith, Paula, Amanda. 

Narelle here. I'm delighted to welcome four talented Aussie Christian fiction authors to our blog today. ICFW member Paula Vince has collaborated with multi-published authors Rose Dee, Amanda Deed and Meredith Resce to write The Greenfield Legacy.

We are also giving away a copy of The Greenfield Legacy (world-wide, more details at the end of the post).

I will introduce these lovely ladies before we learn how they worked together to produce their collaborated novel, a first for the Australian Christian Fiction market. 

Award winning Australian author, PAULA VINCE, loves to evoke tears and laughter through writing fiction. She has a passion to provide inspiring stories that highlight her own beautiful country. http://www.paulavince.com

ROSE DEE was born in Ingham, North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel. Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, decided to try her hand at writing two years ago. The result of that attempt is her first novel, 'Back to Resolution'. Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women. 'Beyond Resolution', and ‘A New Resolution’ are the second and third books in the 'Resolution' series. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle. http://rosedee.com

AMANDA DEED grew up in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne in a Christian home, and found faith at an early age. She has followed her passion to serve the Lord through music and literature since her teen years. Now married, with three children, Amanda enjoys the variety of being a mother, finance administrator, musician and historical romance writer. Her debut novel, The Game, won the 2010 CALEB Prize for fiction, and Ellenvale Gold was a finalist for the same prize in 2012. http://www.amandadeed.com.au

South Australian Author, MEREDITH RESCE, has been writing since 1991, and has had books in the Australian market since 1997. Following the Australian success of her “Heart of Green Valley” series, an English Publisher has taken the first three books in this series, and has released them to the British and American markets. ‘The Greenfield Legacy’ is her 15th novel published. Apart from writing, Meredith also takes the opportunity to speak to groups on issues relevant to relationships and emotional and spiritual growth. Meredith has also been co-writer and co-producer in the 2007 feature film production, “Twin Rivers”. With her husband, Nick, Meredith has worked in the ministry since 1983. Meredith and Nick have one daughter and two sons.

Mattie was in love with Billy, but she was too young to wed. When Billy was conscripted to fight in Vietnam, they made a decision that affected their lives and their future. But so much pain resulted that Mattie never really healed. Every turn Mattie made affected her daughter and her granddaughter in ways she didn't even realise. But forty-six years later, is it time for things to be set right? 

Navy is a young woman who has never known her family. But what could be a wonderful opportunity is met with jealousy and apprehension from her cousin Brooke and her aunt Connie, especially with handsome Aidan around. Each must look past their struggles and find forgiveness and trust and perhaps even love. 

This absorbing family drama, set in South Australia's beautiful McLaren Vale wine region, is written by four of Australia's outstanding Christian fiction authors who have brought you best-selling and award-winning novels.

Narelle: What was the inspiration for writing The Greenfield Legacy? Who came up with the story idea?

Meredith: I think Paula came up with the idea, but our brainstorm Skype session helped to let it grow and take shape with all four of us giving input.

Rose: It was Paula’s idea. She contacted each of us with the concept and we had a Skype discussion about how it all would work. The story came to us quite easily. We started with a general outline and it just rolled from there.

Paula: I was scrolling down through my Face Book news feed and saw that four American Christian Fiction authors had collaborated on a novel. As well as being interested to read it, the idea that something similar should be done for the Australian market wouldn’t leave my head. My family thought it sounded far too hard but I still didn’t want to let it go. I finally sent messages to Meredith, Rose and Amanda, to ask if they would be willing to join me in giving it a try. All three ladies were enthusiastic about the idea and the rest is history.

Narelle: How did the four of you manage to brainstorm the story, considering you all live in different parts of Australia? How did you collaborate to put together the story outline?

Meredith: We had the one long brainstorm Skype session, which was loads of fun, with ideas flying around left, right and centre. It was really great how the story could take different turns here and there from the separate characters’ points of view. We just agreed on the one solid storyline thread around which we each hung our own individual ideas.

Amanda: Skype is a great tool for communicating these days. Apart from a first group phone call discussion where we brainstormed the story outline, we emailed back and forth quite a lot during the process, clarifying as we went.

Rose: Once we had a general idea of the four characters, we all drew up a character analysis. I feel as though the story unfolded easily. I had some great ideas on where my character was going just by reading what the other characters thought of her, and how they interacted with her. We mainly conversed through e-mail. Once we started, our keyboards were hard at work and we had a first draft within months.

Narelle: I’m curious to learn the logistics behind four authors writing the same novel. Did you each write different characters or plot threads? Did you all write at the same pace? Did you revise and critique each other’s writing as you wrote the story or did you revise at the end?

Amanda: I think I was the slowest of the group, having to fit the writing in around many other demands, but I loved that the other authors’ parts inspired some of my ideas as I went. Then there were the, ‘Oh, I didn’t see that coming,’ moments, where I had to figure out how I would fit some new scenario into my own part of the story. I really enjoyed that part of the challenge.

Meredith: We each wrote a different character, and the main plot was agreed upon from the brainstorm, but there were subplots that added to the story and built each individual character. We each wrote a character profile for our own character and secondary characters, so that if one of the others of us had to write our character into their part, they knew pretty much how each would act/respond. We wrote like a tennis match. One would serve a piece, the next would take and develop the next point in the story via their character’s point of view, then hit to the next writer, whose character needed to emerge at that point. We batted it back and forth between us and it grew exponentially. It was very exciting going to the email next day and finding the story back in the inbox, but it had grown and developed so much. We did critique each others’ writing. I might have been more harsh than the others, but hopefully it all turned out well. I believe the readers will really engage with it.

Paula: I was the one who tied all the different chapters together as I received them in my inbox and it was great fun. I enjoyed the jigsaw puzzle aspect of that job, figuring out where each bit would have happened chronologically and slotting them together until they worked as smoothly as possible. I always got a kick out of seeing how ‘my’ characters appeared in the other ladies’ sections. We left our critiquing until towards the end, but by then we were all so emotionally involved in the story as a whole, the input from outside editors was definitely appreciated.

Narelle: Was it difficult to pull together four different writing voices and writing styles to create a cohesive story?

Rose: You would think it would be incredibly difficult, but I found that the process flowed smoothly and the ‘voices’ complemented each other. I think this is because we all write specific characters, so although each voice is different – they all really suit the characters.

Meredith: Surprisingly, no. The four different voices definitely reflected the four different characters’ points of view as they emerged. It actually made it just a tad more realistic.

Amanda: Getting it all to flow together seemed to be rather easy, I think. I have since read other co-authorship stories which make it sound a lot harder than our first experience of it was. Perhaps we were just a good fit.

Paula: We are quite confident that readers may have a tricky job telling who was who. Our minds gelled together so smoothly, we believe it may as well have been written by just one person. I enjoyed my experience of everyone else’s working styles. Meredith would come up with plot twists and email them to us with headings such as, ‘Breaking News.’ Rose got so enthusiastic about the different characters, she’d infect us all. Amanda would work with spurts of amazing energy, when we’d receive two or three really poignant chapters that made us ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah.’

Narelle: What advice do you have for other writers who may be thinking about collaborating to write a novel?

Paula: Start with a basic plot in which you are all firmly agreed on. Then you’ll be less likely to annoy each other with ideas the others just can’t buy. Keep your approach to working together lighthearted, even at moments when the story itself isn’t.

Amanda: Be open-minded. I think if you have narrow expectations of what it should be, you might struggle to make it work. There needs to be a lot of give and take.

Meredith: If you find other authors who seem to think like you do, and who you respect as a writer, and who is willing to have a go, why not?

Rose: I think that you have to have similarities in taste. Although we are two contemporary and two historic fiction writers, we still all like a bit of romance and drama. Common ground helps. I can’t imagine it would have worked if we had to accommodate an author who wrote science fiction or someone who wrote thrillers. Other than this – I think you just have to give something a go. We had no idea how this would work, or even if we would produce anything good enough for publication. But The Greenfield Legacy is a story we are all proud of. It’s a great read.

Narelle: Ladies, thank you for a fascinating and insightful interview. I'm looking forward to reading The Greenfield Legacy and trying to guess who wrote each character. 

By commenting on today’s post you can enter the drawing to win a copy of The Greenfield Legacy. The drawing will take place on Friday, November 2 and the winner announced on Sunday, November 4. Please leave an email address [ ] at [ ] dot [ ] where you can be reached. 

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

Australia's first collaborated Christian novel

I was happy to have spent last weekend on Australia's Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Several writers from Australia and New Zealand were there for a Getaway in which we attended workshops and listened to interesting seminars. A variety of brand new books were launched, one of which was "The Greenfield Legacy", a collaborated novel I've written with fellow authors Meredith Resce, Amanda Deed and Rose Dee. It's a project we've worked hard on this year and it was wonderful to be able to answer questions about it on a panel and sign several copies with the others.

We were each keen to bring our passions into the story. Therefore, it encompasses a few generations and contains some Australian history, several unexpected twists and shocking family revelations. We were all unanimous in wanting to include satisfying romances and a sensitive plot which we hope will bless and touch the hearts of readers. With four main characters to follow (one written by each of us), we wouldn't be surprised to hear that readers, with their diverse backgrounds, may choose different ones to especially relate to.

I've found that working with others on a novel is a really rewarding and interesting experience. It's helped me to stretch my creativity and learn how others go about the writing process. Seeing the result of our equal input for the first time was great. It's a composite that I was proud to be a part of. Later this week, an interview about our process will be published by Narelle Atkins but for now, I'd like to share a glimpse of our story in this trailer.

    Paula Vince's youth was brightened by great fiction and she's on a mission to pay it forward. A wife and homeschooling mother, she loves to highlight the beauty of her own country in her stories. Paula's books are a blend of drama and romance with elements of mystery and suspense.

Interview with Aussie author Amanda Deed and book giveaway

Narelle here. I'm delighted to welcome Amanda Deed to our blog today. We will be giving away a copy of Amanda's new release, Ellenvale Gold, and the giveaway is open to readers anywhere in the world.

Amanda Deed grew up in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne in a Christian home, and found faith at an early age. She has followed her passion to serve the Lord through music and literature since her teen years. She has had many experiences as she toured Australia and ministered in music with worship bands. Now married, with three children, Amanda enjoys the variety of being a mother, administrator/book-keeper, musician and fiction writer.

Amanda’s debut novel, The Game, was awarded the 2010 CALEB Prize for fiction. www.amandadeed.com.au

It is the time of Australia’s harsh rogue-filled goldrush of the 1850’s when Miss Penelope Worthington suddenly finds herself orphaned, isolated and alone. With a large sheep station to run single-handedly, she has little option but to enlist the aid of a mysterious, but sinister stranger.

But who is the more treacherous? Gus—the scruffy, trespassing, ex-convict who co-incidentally shows up looking for work just when she desperately needs a farmhand or Rupert—the handsome, wealthy neighbour who would willingly marry her at the drop of a hat and solve her apparent dilemma?

Repeatedly, her faith is tested as she faces the unforgiving elements, deceit, lies and uncertainty. But where and how will it all end? But…is it the end? Will vengeance return or will Penny’s faith prevail?

Narelle: What do you find most fascinating about the 1850’s gold rush era of Australian history?

Amanda: There's always that allure of a gold strike which somehow draws me. But, I am especially interested in what happened on the Victorian gold fields - the tensions about unfair treatment, which grew into what we now call the Eureka Stockade. That event was formulative to our government in the years which followed.

Narelle: Please share with us a few of your research tips.

Amanda: I did a lot of research on line. I found, through the NLA (National Library of Australia), copies of old newspapers, old maps of the gold fields, paintings, letters - lots of fascinating stuff. I've read the journals of a minister at that time. Then of course, I borrowed books from the local library to study the history of Melbourne, social customs of the day, how sheep runs were managed. I also contacted the Sunbury Historical Society, and they set me straight on a few facts. There is so much to learn!

Narelle: What was your inspiration for writing Ellenvale Gold?

Amanda: I began writing this novel in 2000. I had been searching for Australian Christian historical romances, but there were very few around at that time. Somewhere along the line, a voice in my head said "why don't you write one". It made sense. Historical romance is my favourite genre, but I'd been dabbling with writing contemporary. It didn't take long for the ideas to begin to flow.

Narelle: I must confess to being a fan of the Aussie bushranger tv series Wild Boys, also set during the 1850’s gold rush. Do any real life historical figures or bushrangers play a role in Ellenvale Gold?

Amanda: It does feel like a confession to admit liking Wild Boys - I feel a little guilty for enjoying it, seeing as they are all criminals, just some worse than others! I did mention a bushranger called Captain Melville who's hideout was in the area where Ellenvale Gold was set, but other than that, I created all my characters, but keeping in mind some of the real-life characters I'd researched.

Narelle: Ellenvale Gold is set on a large sheep station. Do your characters attend a local parish, or are they living in an isolated area? Did the church influence the faith and lives of your characters?

Amanda: I could not find any evidence of an established church in the area I'd set the novel, not even a preaching circuit. From all accounts I read, plus talking to the historical society, the churches in Sunbury weren't built until late in the 1800s. One of my characters however, comes to Ellenvale as an established believer. His faith then influences others in the novel.

Narelle: What do you hope your readers will take away after reading Ellenvale Gold?

Amanda: I hope they take a deeper appreciation of the pioneering days in Australia, as well as a message of grace and hope, and of course I want them to be entertained.

Narelle: How has your faith influenced your writing?

Amanda: The Lord is the reason I write. I write to tell His story in a gentle way to those who haven't heard. I hope that I can thread His grace and love through the pages of my novels in a way that will impact lives.

Narelle: Please tell us about your upcoming releases.

Amanda: I am working on the sequel to Ellenvale Gold and having a lot of fun doing it. I am just putting the finishing touches on it and then I will be onto the third and final instalment.

Amanda, thanks for joining us today. It's been a pleasure to interview you and learn more about the gold rush period of Australian history.

By commenting on today’s post you can enter the drawing to win a copy of Ellenvale Gold. The drawing will take place on Friday, December 23 and the winner announced on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25. Please leave an email address [ ] at [ ] dot [ ] where you can be reached.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

To learn more about Amanda, please visit her website.

Narelle Atkins writes contemporary inspirational romance. She resides in Canberra, Australia with her husband and children. To learn more about Narelle, please visit her website.